Device for cleaning furnaces



March 31, 1931.

L. E, SOMERS DEVICE FOR CLEANING FURNACES Filed March 22, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet March 31, 1931.

L. E. SOMERS DEVICE FOR CLEANING FURNACES Filed March 22, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 2 June-T01,

Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS E. SOMEBS, OFDETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO- THE H.IKRATZER COM- IPANY, OF DETROIT,MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN DEVTCE FOR CLEANING FURNACESApplication filed March 22, 1928. Serial No. 263,845.

This invention relates to a suction furnace cleaner and has for itsobject the production of a device that is inexpensive to manufacture andefficient in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device that can bereadily dismantled in order that the device may be taken in closeproximity to the pipe that is being cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this type thatis easy to clean and may be operated even though part of it is fracturedand which is capable of compact and unified arrangement in aninoperative condition, for convenient movement from place to place. i

These and other objects are attained by the means described hereinand'disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a device of this invention, showing thedevice in a com pact position.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device in an operative position, partof the device being shown in cross section.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental perspective view of the suction hose and cap,forming details of the invention.

The furnace cleaner comprises a casing 10 having a front wall 11 and abase 12. The casing 10 is reinforced at its corners by angle irons 13and 14. The angle irons 14 secured at the base of the casing 10 supportthe bottom 12 upon which a dirt box 15 rests.

The dirt box 15 is provided with a plurality of perforations havingupstandin flanges 16 to which are attached air release age 17. The bags17 are adapted to lie collapsed upon the top of box 15 when the deviceis not a in operation. The bags 17 have a closed top 18 and are securedto the flanges 16 by removable rubber bands 19. One of the flanges 16,shown at 20, has secured to it a bag 21, similar to the bags 17, buthaving its upper end open for receiving the discharge spout 22 of theinlet pipe 23. The end 220 of the bag 21 is secured to the inlet pipe 23by means of a removable rubber or tapered metal band 24.

The inlet pipe 23 communicates with the interior 25 of a fan housing 26.Interiorly of the fan housing is disposed a fan 27 having reversible.plates 28. The fan 27 is carried by the motor shaft 29 of a motor 30.The housing 26 is provided in its one face with a flange 31 and in itsother face with an opening 32 through which opening the motor shaft29extends. Theflange 31 receives a cap 33 which has extending from it ahose connection 34 for receiving one end of a hose 35.

The motor 30 is mounted on a platform 36 carried by brackets 37. Themotor and fan housing 26 are mounted withinan open frame work 38 whichcomprises suitable angle irons 39 and connecting bars 40. This openframe work containing the motor and the encased fan is so proportionedin relation to casing 10 that it can be lowered into the latter forcompactness and convenience in moving the device from one place ofoperation to another.

The angle bars secured at the upper end of thecasing 10 carry hinges 41.One leaf of each hinge 41 has a Z-shaped cross section as shown at. 42.When it is desired to operate the cleaner the frame 38 is removed fromthe casing l0and the hinge members actuated to the interior of the saidcasing 10. One arm 43 of the hinge leaf 42 forms a seat upon which theframe 38 rests for supporting the motor and fan above the casing. Thisis clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. a T a In order to give access forconnecting the end 220 of the bag 21 to the inlet pipe 23 after theframe has been mounted in the position shown in Fig. 2, a door 44 hasbeen provided in the front wall 11 of the casing 10. This doorreciprocates in opposed ways 45 formed in the front wall llbybending thesaid wall upon itself as shown at 46.

The operation ofthe device is as follows: The device is carried orshipped to the job in a compact condition; such as is shown in Fig. 1,then placed adjacent the furnace to be cleaned whereupon the frame 38together with motor 30 and fan 26 are lifted out of the casing and thehinge members 42 actuated toward the interior of the casing. The frameis now set upon the supports 43 in the posi-' tion shown in Fig. 2. Thedoor 44 is opened so that the end 220 of the bag 21 can be mounted onthe intake pipe 23. The cap 33 is mounted upon the flange 31, the doorslipped back into position. and the motor started for causing a suctionthrough the pipe/Kihg, and means whereby said frame structure- 35. Theend 47 of the hose 35 is now placl within the smoke compartment orchamber of a furnace and the dirt and soot is drawn through the pipeinto the dirt box 15. The air which passes into the dirt box 15 is released through the air release bags 17 and any dirt that might becarried into these bags is held within the bags while the air is permitted to escape. It has been found that by using a plurality, forexample, as shown in this case, 8 release bags, that it is possible torelease the air twice as fast as compared with one bag occupying thesame air space. It may be noted that the device can be used by twooperators simultaneously, by supplying cap 33 with two hose connectionsinstead of one. A further feature of the present invention is that thebags are independently operable, that-is, should one or more of the bags17 become torn or fractured the perforation with which it is associatedmay be suitably covered and operation of the device continued withoutinterrupting work on a given ob.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A suction furnace cleaner comprising an outer open-top casing, anopen frame structure receivable in the casing, an encased fan and motorsupported by and within said open frame structure, a dirt receiving boxwithin and at the base of the outer casing, said box having in its topface a plurality of openings with upwardly extending flanges; aplurality of tubular bags adapted to fit upon and be secured to saidflanges at their lower ends which are open, the opposite or upper endsof all but one being closed; an inlet pipe communicating at one end withthe interior of the fan casing and adapted to be inserted in and havesecured thereto at its opposite end the top of the aforesaid single bagwith open upper end; a shaft connecting fan and motor on one side of thefan casing, an outer flange surrounding an aperture on the opposite sideof the casing and a hose adapted to communicate with said flangedaperture and provided, for this purpose, with a cap to fit upon saidflange.

2. A suction furnace cleaner consisting sub stantially of twoco-operative, separable parts, one an outer casing with a dirt-receivingbox in its base and air-release bags removably attached andcommunicating therewith, and the other, an open frame structurepositioned within the casing while the device is inoperative, andadapted to seat 3. In a device of the class described, the

combination of an outer casing, an open frame structure supportingoperative parts of the device and receivable by the outer casis heldwithin the top portion of the casing during operation of the device.

4. A furnace cleaning device comprising a casing, a frame structurereceivable in the casing, a fan contained in a housing and a motor fordriving the fan, the encased fan and motor being supported by and withinthe frame structure, a dirt reception chamber in the casing and incommunication with the fan housing, a hose communicating with theinterior of the fan housing, and a plurality of air release bagsattached 'to and communicating with the dirt chamber and positioned inthe casing.

5. In a furnace cleaning device thecombination of a casing comprising adirt chamsber, collapsible air-release means on top of the chamber andwithin said casing, a frame slidable within the casing, a suction andpower means mounted within the frame and means on the casing forsupporting the frame within thetop portion of the casing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day ofMarch, 1928.

LOUIS E. SOMERS.

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